P-6 student protest fines dropped by City of Montreal

The City of Montreal on Wednesday announced it would drop most of the outstanding fines students and other protesters were given after the P-6 bylaw was enacted during the 2012 student protests.

The enforcement of the P-6 bylaw — which bans protesters from wearing masks and requires them to file protest itineraries ahead of time — resulted in hundreds of people being arrested and slapped with hefty fines.

Fines ranged from $500 to $3,000, depending on the number of previous infractions protesters incurred.

Earlier this month, Montreal’s municipal court sided with three protesters who argued against being fined for breaking P-6.

Judge Randall Richmond described the bylaw as "flawed" in his judgment. However, the city is standing by P-6 for now.

On Wednesday morning, Mayor Denis Coderre tweeted that the judge ruled that the way the police applied the law was problematic, but that the bylaw itself was fine.

Coderre said the city would not appeal the judge's decision and that it would drop most of the outstanding fines as a consequence.